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Sexual Morality

Sexual Morality. The Origins of our Beliefs. “Unfortunately, people’s positions on these questions usually have more to do with their upbringing, religious tradition, or cultural background than with plausible moral arguments” (410). True? If so, why “unfortunately?”

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Sexual Morality

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  1. Sexual Morality

  2. The Origins of our Beliefs “Unfortunately, people’s positions on these questions usually have more to do with their upbringing, religious tradition, or cultural background than with plausible moral arguments” (410). • True? • If so, why “unfortunately?” • What is a “plausible moral argument”?

  3. The Terms • Sexual & Non-Sexual • Sexual desire • Sexual normality • Perversion • Sexual morality

  4. Origins of Sexual Morality “In the past, the ever present possibility of children rendered the concepts of sex and sexual morality different from those required at present” (418).

  5. “Means-Ends” Analysis of Sex Sex for reproduction. Sex for communication. Sex for expression of our “human natures.” What moral principles arise from “means-ends” conceptions of sex? Is sex “for” anything? What is “plain sex?”

  6. Sexual Ethics “Any analysis of sex which imputes a moral character to sex acts in themselves is wrong for that reason. There is no morality intrinsic to sex, although general moral rules apply to the treatment of others in sex acts as they apply to all human relations.” We can speak of a sexual ethic as we can speak of a business ethic, without implying that business in itself is either moral or immoral or that special rules are required to judge business practice which are not derived from rules that apply elsewhere as well. Sex is not in itself a moral category, although like business it invariably places us into relations with others in which moral rules apply.” (420)

  7. Goods “The pleasure intrinsic to sex acts is a good, but not, it seems to me, a good with much positive moral significance” (421). • Does the liberal view of sex promote or diminish the “goods” of sex? • Can one attain the “goods” associated with sex without sex? • Can one attain the “goods” of sex without sex?

  8. Some Questions What are the ethical risks of “means-ends” conceptions of sex? What are the ethical benefits? What are the ethical risks of “plain sex?” What are the ethical benefits? How should children be taught about sex?

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